Shape-Shifting

Shape-shifting

"I will go in the name of God,
in the likeness of deer, in the likeness of horse,
in the likeness of serpent, in likeness of king.
More victorious am I than all others."
   ___ Scots Gaelic, invocation for justice.


The Gaelic practice of fith-fath (FEE'faw), dating back to ancient days, is a kind of shape-shifting spell; it is uttered when people feel themselves  to be endangered or vulnerable, needing a measure of invisibility or better confidence in difficult situations.

  Sometimes the fith-fath is said, as in the example above, for the purposes of endowing oneself with helpful qualities in difficult circumstances: when seeking justice in a court of law, for example, or when entering a strange place. The magic of the fith-fath does not lie in the words that are recited, but rather in the intentions with which the words are said. The words often spontaneously chosen, are generally apposite to the circumstances and the moments's need. The intentions of the speaker are everything, drawing upon real alliances between the self and spiritual helpers whose friendship is already strongly established.

  Fith-fath shape-shifting is undertaken in moments of great need. The spell itself - the first phase - is uttered privately, even secretly, certainly not in a crowd; in the second phase, the shape-shifter, now prepared, goes into the situation or place and does whatever is necessary; finally, in private again, the fith-fath is dropped and the original shape resumed.

  Whether we go into challenging ninterviews, venture into dangerous ploaces, or attempt to pass through a crowd unnoticed and unscathed, the old custom of shape-shifting can serve us well if we use it with respect.

"Make your own fith-fath invocation, to recite at times when you need a little more confidence or when you would like to be less noticeable."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]